Electric plug and socket.



,L.,W. KUTSGH. ELECTRIC PLUG AND SOCKET.

APPLICATION FILED FEBJO, 1910.

Patented Nov.15,1910.

z sHEBrs-SHEET 1.

L. w. KUTSCH. ELAETRIG'PLUG AND SOCKET. v APPLIOATION FILED 13:13.10, 1910. I 975.875,' Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

viiir sra ATENE? @lilflltlk To all whom fit mag/concern:

Be it known thatl I, Louis WQ Kursort, a citizen pf the United States, residing at Ch1cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented'a certain new and useful Im rovement in Electric Plugs and i Sockets, o which the following is a speci- This invention relates tovdevices of the class named, and especially to such devices for use in theaters and the like, where large numbers of electric lights have to be thrown ,into and out of electric circuit at the same moment, and also for use iii'charging storage batteries.

The objectpof the invention 'is to provide' a plug and socket for this purpose whichv occuples small space, can be easily and cheaply inade and installed, :and which Works very satisfactorily, and which possesses some or all of the features hereafter set forth.

The invention consists in a plug and socket in which, when they are in engagement with each other, the electric contacts are entirely inclosed ,within the block; in which the lug may be made 'reversible or nonreversib e, as desired, with reference to the socket; a cover for the socket box which can only be put on .inL one position and that.,

position the right one; a spring vcover normally closin the opening in the socket but adapted to e lifted by thelplug itself as the o erator brings it to osition for entering t e socket; also in suc a ycover which is so spring mounted that, as it is opened it lthrows off any dirt which is upon it.

The invention also consists 1na construction of the plug proper in which a wooden t handle is used carrying a porcelain block on which the contacts are mounted, the

.A wholeso arranged as to aHord-perfect ine showing the cover for the lplug openin sulation; also in such a construction of .wooden handle and porcelain' insulating inaterial for the plug that the Wood protects the porcelain lin case of the handle being dropped or otherwise' struck u on something hard which would ordinarily reak the porcelain.

The invention also consists in'otlier details of construction to be hereafter described.

Figure 1 isa plan view of the socket box 1n closed position. Fig. 2-is a side view 0 the box and plug in assembled position. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional detail view on the Speeiicaton of Letters latent.

Application filed February 1D, 1910.

' ""Loorsin. or omesso, attracts.

nrnorarc raue seca.

Patented Nov. 45, 19MB. Serial No. 543,039.

line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a correspond- .ing View at rightangles to that of Fig. 3 j on the line 4-4, Fig. 3. F ig. 5 is a sectional l i plan view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. Fig.

6 is a detail side View of the plug Withdrawn from the socket, taken in the direction of the arrows it-6, Fig. 4.

Thesocket device of this inve'iitioiiA consists in a solid porcelain base block 10 hav-- ing through it a hole 12 of rectangular form sufficiently large to receive Ythe plug. EX- tending into this hole or opening l2 within the block 10 are metallic electric contact members 14 and 16 secured respectivel to the block 10 by the'bolts 18 and 20 o ordinary construction. @ver this block 10 fits a cover member 22 adapted to be secured to the block by screws 24 and 26. The base block l0 is adapted to be scour-sd to any suitable support by screws placed through holes 28 therein. On one side of this cover 22 are tivo notches 30 and 32 through which electric Wires 34 and 36 passto the terminal nuts 38 and 40 upon the screws 18 and 20 respectively. As these two wires 34 and 36 are on the same side of the insulating block .jacent to this opening 42 is a bracket 44 having pivoted thereto at 46' a cover plate 48 adapted to lie fiat upon the top of cover 22 and close the opening42. Atthe outer ,extremity of this cover plate 48 is -an upwardly turned portion 50, which .isg as shown, adapted to be engaged bythe-plu proper in the manner hereafter.; describe This cover is normally spring-jiiessed into closed position by a spring 51. l

' The plugy of this device consists in a com .10, and as 'the notches are necessary in the bination of parts comprising an insulating terial, preferably oft-l shaped form', as is best seen in Fig. 5. v'lihis insulating plug 54 is attached to a Wooden handle 56, having.. projecting `from it forks 5,8, which, as ybest plug 54 of porcelainorother insulating ina L seen in Figs. 5 and 6, lie between the arms of the H and adjacent to the arms and cross har of the H shaped porcelain block, thereby aording protection to the porcelain should the device fall upon the floor. Rigidly attached to the sides of the porcelain member 54 are metallic contact plates 60 and 62, each of these lates being secured in position by a set olf) screws 64. Attached to the upper ends of these metallic plates 60 and 62 by means of screws 66 are metallic socket or lug members 68 and-70 best seen in Fig. 4.

iRigidly attached to these lugs by solder or otherwise, as desired7 are insulated conducting Wires 72 and 74 whichpass through a hole 76 in the handle 56. The result-.of the Aforegoing construction is that when the plug member` is inserted in the position of Fig. 4 electric current supplied to wire 72 will pass through socket member 68 into plate 60, thence into contact member 14 and out through wire 34 or' Vice versa, and that correspondingly current entering wire 36 will pass out through Wire 74 or vice versa. It is also entirely obvious that by taking hold of the handle 56 and withdrawing it from contact with the contact members 14 and 16 or pulling it entirely out of the box it will break these electric connections. Whenever the plug is thus withdrawn the cover plate 48 is thus closed down, thereby closing the box from dust or other impurities.

When the operator desires to reinser't the i plug in the box he first. brings it to approximately the dotted line position of Fig. 2 and with the lower end of the lug adjacent to the upturned portion 50 o -the cover, and

l then by moving the plug horizontally line to the full line position of Fig. 2j in' Which position the plug may be inserted and contact made, as described. The advantage' of this cover `construction is that the operator may do this While'using only one hand and that the one holding the plug handle.

On one of the foregoing members 58 is a screw or other projection 80 adapted to pass through and into the recess 82 in the cover 22. This insures the plug always being inserted in one position and, therefore, insures proper polarity of contacts and thus insures proper lighting when the device is used. If it is desired to render the plug reversible the screw or projection 80 may be entirely removed.

The claims are 1. A plug for a device of the class described consisting of a forked Wooden handle, a porcelain insulating member between the forks and electric terminals secured to the. porcelain, the whole so arranged that the forks protect the porcelain `against-injury in case of fall. j

2. A plug for a device of the class described consisting of a .forked handle made of insulating material not readily broken by blows or jars, a lolock of relatively fragile insulating material secured between and protected by said forks and metallic electric contacts secured to and protecting the remaining surfaces of the second insulating scribed my name in the presence of'two Wit-v IIESSQS.

LOUIS W. KUTSCH.

` Witnesses:

DWIGHT B. CHnEvER, MARGARET D. Roms. 

